UCSD Medical Center Receive Grant From NFL To Research Brain Injuries

SAN DIEGO  UCSD Medical Center will use a grant from NFL Charities to develop an imaging technique to detect brain injuries overlooked by conventional methods.

The National Football League's philanthropy arm awarded $1.6 million in grants to 16 hospitals and universities that are researching brain injuries.

Concussions have received far more attention in football in recent years, particularly as detrimental impacts become apparent in older, retired players.

The UCSD project is to develop an imaging system using Magnetoencephalography and Diffusion Tensor Imaging, which could pick up damage to nerve cells in the brain that the usual CT scans or MRI miss.

Other studies that were funded include an association between football and dementia in retired players; how genetics affects the outcome of multiple concussions; and the heart rate behavior of NFL athletes.